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 Department of Commerce Patent and Trademark Office
 AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce.
 ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
 SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651-0042 Patent Examiner Employment Application. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the information collection to OMB.
 DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this information collection must be received on or before January 16, 2024.
 ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by any of the following methods. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. *Email: InformationCollection@uspto.gov.*
                         Include “0651-0042 comment” in the subject line of the message.
                    *Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.*
                    *Mail:*
                         Justin Isaac, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Request for additional information should be directed to Linda Majca, Chief of Workforce Employment Division—Patents, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-0692; or by email at 
                        *Linda.Majca@uspto.gov*
                         with “0651-0042 comment” in the subject line. Additional information about this information collection is also available at 
                        *http://www.reginfo.gov*
                         under “Information Collection Review.”


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract In the current employment environment, life science and engineering graduates are in great demand. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is in direct competition with the private industry for the same caliber of candidates with the requisite knowledge and skills to perform patent examination work. This information collection covers online applications to the USPTO for entry-level patent examiner positions. More specifically, the collection covers the respondent data gathered from the applications. The USPTO posts the relevant positions online and collects applicant information via the USA Staffing System. The USA Staffing online application collects supplemental information to a candidate's USAJOBS application. This information assists USPTO Human Resource Specialists and Hiring Managers in determining whether an applicant possesses the basic qualification requirements for a patent examiner position. From the information collected, the USA Staffing system creates an electronic real-time candidate inventory on applicants' expertise and technical knowledge, which allows USPTO to immediately review applications from multiple applicants. The use of such automated online systems during recruitment allows USPTO to remain competitive, meet hiring goals, and fulfill the Agency's Congressional commitment to reduce the pendency rate for the examination of patent applications. II. Method of Collection Items in this information collection must be submitted electronically via the USA Staffing system. III. Data *OMB Control Number:*
                     0651-0042. *Forms:*
                     None. *Type of Review:*
                     Extension and revision of a currently approved information collection. *Affected Public:*
                     Individuals or households. *Respondent's Obligation:*
                     Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits. *Estimated Number of Annual Respondents:*
                     7,226 respondents. *Estimated Number of Annual Responses:*
                     7,226 responses. *Estimated Time per Response:*
                     The USPTO estimates that the responses in this information collection will take the public approximately 30 minutes (0.5 hours) to complete. This includes the time to gather the necessary information, create the document, and submit the completed request to the USPTO. *Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours:*
                     3,613 hours. *Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden:*
                     $106,511. Table 1—Total Burden Hours and Hourly Costs to Individual or Household Respondents
Item No.
Item
Estimated
                             annual 
                             respondents
Responses per
                             respondent
Estimated
                             annual 
                             responses
Estimated time 
                             for response 
                             (hour)
Estimated
                             annual  
                             burden 
                             (hour/year)
Rate 1
                             ($/hour)
Estimated
                             annual 
                             burden(a)
(b)
(a) × (b) = (c)
(d)
(c) × (d) = (e)
(f)
(e) × (f) = (g)1
Patent Examiner Employee Application
7,226
1
7,226
0.50 (30 minutes)
3,613
$29.48
$106,511Totals
7,226

7,226

3,613

106,5111
                         USPTO uses the OPM Special Rate Table 0576—Patent Examiner 07-Step 1 (the salary divided by 2,080 (the hours per year in a standard 40-hour work-week)) as an estimate for the hourly rate: 
                        *https://www.opm.gov/​special-rates/​2023/​Table057601012023.aspx.*
 *Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-Hourly Cost Burden:*
                     $0. There are no capital start-up, maintenance costs, recordkeeping costs, filing fees, or postage costs associated with this information collection. IV. Request for Comments The USPTO is soliciting public comments to: (a) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
                    ( print page 78333) (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, 
                    *e.g.,*
                     permitting electronic submission of responses. All comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of public record. USPTO will include or summarize each comment in the request to OMB to approve this information collection. Before including an address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information (PII) in a comment, be aware that the entire comment—including PII—may be made publicly available at any time. While you may ask in your comment to withhold PII from public view, USPTO cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so. Justin Isaac, Information Collections Officer, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office.


[FR Doc. 2023-25157 Filed 11-14-23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-16-P